Constitution Day (U.S.)

We the people....

Ratified in 1788, the U.S. Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. Its first three words –– “We the People” –– affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. For over two centuries the Constitution has remained in force because its framers wisely separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the federal and state governments.

In 1956, Congress established Constitution Week beginning each year on September 17th – the date in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution. In 2005, Congress designated September 17th as Constitution Day to promote a better understanding of the Constitution and the governing principles of our nation.